The Report Calls for Urgent Action on Public Safety for American Indian and Alaska Natives
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), a member of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, applauded the release of a new report by the Not Invisible Act Commission with dozens of recommendations for the federal government to immediately address the epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW). The report is a statutory requirement of her Not Invisible Act, bipartisan legislation Cortez Masto wrote with Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) to combat the MMIW crisis that was signed into law along with their Savanna’s Act. It calls for action to improve safety for American Indian and Alaska Natives through prevention, coordination, justice, victim support and law enforcement.
“Protecting Tribal communities in Nevada is one of my top priorities in the Senate, and I am grateful to see the Not Invisible Act Commission recommending a comprehensive and sustained response to address the MMIW epidemic,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “There’s so much more to be done to address this crisis, and I look forward to continue working to ensure these recommendations are implemented to deliver justice and resources to Native communities.”
“It was an honor to serve on the Not Invisible Act Commission, and I’m grateful to Senator Cortez Masto for passing this critical bill to combat the MMIW crisis,” said Janet Davis, former Chairwoman of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe and member of the Not Invisible Act Commission. “These recommendations are an important first step in our ongoing work to protect Native families and give Tribes the tools they need to keep our communities safe.”
The Not Invisible Act Commission is composed of law enforcement, Tribal leaders, federal partners, service providers, family members of missing and murdered individuals, and survivors. Its recommendations will help the Interior and Justice Departments make strides in preventing new instances of MMIW by locating missing individuals, supporting survivors, and holding criminals accountable.
The full report is available HERE.
Senator Cortez Masto has been a strong advocate on behalf of Tribes in Nevada and across the country, and she has repeatedly advocated for additional federal funding to help Tribal communities combat violence. She has introduced bipartisan legislation to strengthen Tribal law enforcement and increase public safety throughout Indian Country.
###